Warriors's comfort
by Enide Dear
Summary: Cloud has something he wants to ask Cid, about their past in ShinRa


Title: Warriors' comfort

Author: Enide Dear

Pairing: CidxCloud implied Valenwind

Rating: Implied sexual acts…

Author's note: I honestly have no idea where this plot bunny came from. I mean, I don't even like Cloud!

Cid had been a bit surprised when Cloud asked if he wanted to go out drinking one night. Not that the pilot and the ex-Soldier didn't get along all right, it was just that Cloud usually seemed more relaxed with the original Avalanche crew – Barret, Tifa and Aeris, whiles Cid, well, Cid spent all his time strictly divided between his two loves, the faithful Highwind and the elusive Vincent Valentine.

Still, the young man had seemed so down and tired and Cid knew the signs of someone in desperate need of going on a bender when he saw one. Cloud had a lot to deal with, and sometimes that sort of thing became such a heavy burden that a man needed the few hours respite that alcohol could offer. So Cid had nodded and brought Cloud along to a pilot bar he knew in a run-down area of Midgard.

Cloud had been drinking steadily since then, not saying much, whiles Cid nursed his beer, ready to lead the youngster home when he had numbed his thoughts and pains enough.

"Cid, there's something I've been meaning to ask you." Cloud said with the careful voice of someone well aware that they're drunk, but not yet drunk enough not to bother.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"You….and Vincent." Cloud made a clumsy gesture, shaking his head. A few strands of hair fell into mako-blue eyes. "I just never thought you were gay."

"Well, I don't like putting labels like that on people, ya know?" Cid took a sip of beer. "If anythin' I'd say I'm an opportunist, and trust me, opportunities like Vince don't come along that often." He grinned.

"But it's not going that well between you, right?"

"It's going *slowly*," Cid said a bit more defensive than he'd mean to. "That don't mean it's not moving forward at all. Vince has a lot of demons – heh, literally – and he needs ta take things slow."

"Isn't that…frustrating?"

Cid gave Cloud the full force of his 'none of your damned business' gaze, but Cloud must have been too drunk to care.

"Aint' all of us who can change bed between two lovers each night," Cid said acidly.

Cloud bent his head, morosely drawing a finger through the spilled beer on the table.

"Nothing is happening between me and Tifa or Aeris," he mumbled.

Cid's eyebrows shot up.

"Really? 'Cause I figured…"

"Yeah, well, if I'd make a move on one of them, the other would be upset, right? It could tear up the entire group. We can't afford that now. We need everybody." Cloud squeezed his beer bottle. "And it is frustrating. Very…frustrating."

Cid didn't know what to answer to that. He sipped his beer, which would soon be empty. Cloud continued, still looking down on the table. His cheeks were getting red.

"So in Soldier we had this thing…warriors' comfort, it was called. You ever heard of it?"

"I've heard rumours. Didn't think they were true, though." Cid suddenly felt very uncomfortable. The rumours had said a lot of things, about a lot of the different sectors within ShinRa. Apparently, this one had been true.

"The Space program didn't have it?"

"We sure as Hell didn't!"

"Well, you weren't sometimes stationed for months in the middle of nowhere either. In Soldier it was an accepted thing, encouraged even, to keep the men from getting too wound up, to provide comfort. Some did it, not everyone. Most did. I did."

"Cloud, what are ya…" Under the table, Cloud's leg pushed against Cid's.

"I could really, really need it tonight." Cloud whispered.

"Look, Cloud." Cid said as gently as he could. "Yer drunk. I'll take ya home and tomorrow we've both forgot about this…"

"Don't patronise me, Cid." Cloud's blue eyes flared. "If you don't want to, then say so, but don't treat me like a child."

Cid's head spun. Yes, it had been frustrating, agonising weeks and months, walking gently around Vincent. He was a grown man and knew how to take care of himself, but it wasn't the same. The need for another warm and willing body piled up inside, a deep human need to be touched. Even if it was just for a night. And apparently, Cloud felt it even more. *If he breaks, then what will become of us? Avalanche needs its leader… * Cloud had seemed to be hanging on by nothing but sheer will for weeks, and now that will seemed to be running out.

And the leg pressing against his was strong and warm and Cid found he was pushing back, rubbing against the pliant thigh.

"Vincent…"

"Will never know," Cloud added hastily. "Nor will anyone else. It will be between us. Warriors' comfort."

"Why me? Why not, um…" Well, who else were there? Barret was a straight as they came, and if Cloud had put the moves on Vincent then Cid would have simply had to kill the young man, and Avalanche and the future of the planet be damned.

Cloud smiled.

"Because opportunities like you don't come along very often either, Cid."

The morning after the boys' drinking night Vincent found Cid sitting on the porch, staring out into nothingness, his cigarette dangling forgotten from the corner of his mouth.

"Chief?" Vincent sat down next to him. "Are you alright?"

"I…guess so. Ya seen spikey-head today?"

"He left this morning, taking Yuffie and Caith. The last I saw he was chopping into monsters, looking better than he had in a long time."

"Good. That's good." Cid buried his face in his hands. "Vince….I might have done somethin' terribly wrong."

Vincent sat quiet as Cid spilled the entire story.

"…and I know I shouldn't have, but the kid looked like was about ta break, or somethin'! I'm so sorry Vince, it won't happen again!"

Vincent sat quiet, scratching doodles in the dust with his claw, not meeting Cid's eyes.

"Warriors' comfort. I've heard of it." He said finally. "All in all, I guess it was a good thing you did, for Cloud. You should warn him, though."

"About what?"

"About ever trying something like that again with you. He will get away with it this time, but…." Vincent took up a stick in his metal hand and squeezed; the hard wood snapped in several places and Cid let out an empathic wince, his hand straying protectively to his groin. Vincent almost smiled. "…that's what will happen if he tries it again."

"I'll…let him know."

"Good. So," Vincent gave him a cheeky smile. "How was he?"

Cid coughed and a faint blush crept up his cheeks.

"A gentl'man doesn't speak of that, ya know," he muttered.

"Oh." Vincent tried not to grin, but it was hard, very hard. To see the tough – talking pilot with a seemingly infinite store of dirty limericks suddenly reduced to a blushing school boy was quite endearing. "Well, that does you credit. I never knew you thought of yourself as a gentleman, though."

"Yeah, well. Um." Cid chewed his cigarette, not looking at Vincent. The blush was getting deeper.

"…maybe I should just ask Cloud, then?" Vincent said innocently.

"Vince!"


End file.
